Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
kind of depressing, did not get invested in story
I have always loved elephants. A friend of mine, knowing this, passed The Elephant Keeper on to me when he was finished. He said the elephants in it were Indian elephants, so I took it with me on a business trip to India. :)
I thought this novel started out wonderfully, but sort of fell off a cliff at the end. I loved the early years when Tom and the elephant[s] were at their first few homes on English estates. Near the end, though, Tom and Jenny (the elephant) are living in a sad menagerie in London and Tom seems to be losing it. I thought the ending was odd, too...discordant.
But, if you are an elephant-lover, read it. Jenny's character is lovingly written.
I thought this novel started out wonderfully, but sort of fell off a cliff at the end. I loved the early years when Tom and the elephant[s] were at their first few homes on English estates. Near the end, though, Tom and Jenny (the elephant) are living in a sad menagerie in London and Tom seems to be losing it. I thought the ending was odd, too...discordant.
But, if you are an elephant-lover, read it. Jenny's character is lovingly written.
A very interesting perspective of a young boy who unexpectedly becomes an elephant keeper in late 1700s England. This reminded me of Black Beauty (which to be fair I haven't read or watched in a long time) in how you are seeing the life of an animal through its owners and caretakers, both the good and the bad. Also just a beautiful animal story!
The only thing I didn't like was the main character's attitude towards sex and women was very... of its time (aka he treated women terribly).
The only thing I didn't like was the main character's attitude towards sex and women was very... of its time (aka he treated women terribly).
I really liked the first two parts of this book, and then it all kind of went south from there. Disappointing.
I liked this book but I was hoping that I would love it. I thought the description was intriguing and really liked how it started out, but it just wasn't all that I hoped it would be.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was an interesting read. It follows the life of the son of a horse groom. The first elephants arrive in England and suddenly Tom Page, a would-be groom, becomes The Elephant Keeper. Page is instructed to write a history of the Elephant and thus lets you in on his life and times with Jenny and Timothy, or the elephants. Through thick and thin, I think Jenny is the true heroine of this story. This beautiful though sometimes odd relationship begins as Elephant and Keeper but ends as friends as one becomes dependent and we're not quite sure which it is.
Nothing like a 36-hour round trip to the East Bay to knock out a book and a few crossword puzzles. Pleasant story about a boy/man and his charges, reflecting the true bond that humans can hold with animals. Jenny is an unusual life partner, but one with a big heart. ... Prepare for an odd/abrupt ending, which can always be difficult when a story spans many years and book is divided accordingly.
I don't know how I feel about this book. I liked it enough to keep reading but felt a curious detachment to just about every character in the book. Still trying to work out what the point of the story was??
DNF at about 100pgs. Thought this would be a fun historical fiction, but found out I really just can't read historical novels about how horrible animals were treated in the past. Already know the history, so just didn't gain anything from the depressing story so far and I'm not willing to slog for no pay off